Through its “stadium diplomacy” on the African continent, Beijing is part of the history of 7 of the 10 teams in the competition
Indirectly, China has a stake in the football development of 70% of the African teams competing in the World Cup. This influence does not come from tactical exchanges, sponsorship of local teams or any factor on the pitch. In fact, it occurs in the construction of the pitches themselves, more specifically in African stadiums.
In this edition of the tournament, the African continent has a record participation in World Cups with 10 countries classified. In 7 of these 10 countries, China built international standard stadiums from its robust civil construction sector. This Chinese strategy is known as “stadium diplomacy” and has been used by Beijing in African countries for more than 40 years.
China’s “stadium diplomacy” is a strategy of soft power to project its political and economic influence on the African continent. Since the beginning of this century, the presence of Chinese companies in the construction of African sports projects has intensified with the official launch in 2013 of the New Silk Road – a Chinese program to expand infrastructure and global logistics integration.
The idea is to strengthen diplomatic ties with African countries through participation in infrastructure projects. China is already a major investor in railways and ports on the continent to transport the production of raw materials –many of which are destined for China–, but the construction of football stadiums brings with it an element beyond the material result of commodities. It injects into the popular imagination a sympathy associated with the most popular sport on the planet.
The exposure of Chinese construction companies’ brands in stadiums where the teams will play in front of their audiences and can achieve glory, cultural exchanges between Chinese and local workers and direct investment in the region are elements that bring advantages to Chinese diplomacy in the continent richest in natural resources on the planet.
Based on the relationships built from sports projects, the company can in the future negotiate other projects that bring a more direct benefit, such as access to resources and consortia.
One strategy adopted by the Chinese is to target countries that will host sporting events such as the African Cup of Nations. One example was the 2024 edition of the tournament in Côte d’Ivoire. The biggest stadium in the competition, the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium with capacity for 60,000 people was built by Chinese state-owned companies.
Chinese companies have actively participated in the construction of stadiums in the last 6 editions of the African Cup of Nations, a competition held every 2 years. According to the Chinese state newspaper Global Times, China has already helped build more than 100 stadiums across the continent.
Another practical example is Cape Verde, a team that became one of the sensations of the 2026 World Cup after drawing 0-0 with Spain in the 1st round.
O Cape Verde’s National Stadium, where the team achieved the unprecedented qualification for the biggest football tournament on the planet in October 2025, was financed by China and built by a Chinese state-owned company. The stadium was completed in 2014 and has the capacity to hold 15,000 spectators. It is the largest stadium in the country.
